More Former Guantanamo Bay Detainees Return To Terrorism

Jeryl Bier

September 9, 2013 4:12 PM

An unclassified version of a September report from the Director of National Intelligence reveals that another five former Guantanamo Bay detainees have either been confirmed as reengaging in terrorism or are suspected of doing so. The report comes just as a judge in Algeria has approved parole of two detainees recently transferred to Algerian custody from the Cuba-based detention facility.

Of the 603 former detainees tracked by US intelligence services, a total of 100 have now been confirmed as reengaging in "terrorism" or "insurgent" activities, while another 74 are suspected of reengaging. This brings the total rate of recidivism to nearly 29 percent, up from 28 percent as of the last report six months ago. The report includes the following table of all detainee cases:

Two of the detainees suspected of reengaging in the last six months are among those transferred since President Obama took office in 2009. Of the seventy-four detainees transferred since January 22, 2009, seven are either confirmed or suspected of reengaging, up from five in the prior report, raising the recidivism rate of those transferred during the president's time in office from 7 percent to 10 percent.

The two men transferred to Algerian custody on August 28 are Nabil Hadjarab and Motai Sayab, according to the Miami Herald. Both had been cleared for release years ago and had been part of the hunger strike at Guantanamo. There are still 90 or so detainees that have similarly been cleared for release but are still in custody pending arrangements with countries who will receive them subject to conditions. A lawyer for one of the two detainees just paroled says that his client will be required to "check in with authorities every month."

The report on all Guantanamo Bay detainees is required at least once every six months. This latest version was released without comment on the website of the Director of National Intelligence on Thursday, September 5. The release was not noted on the DNI's Twitter account, the agency's Facebook page, nor the latest social media outlet for the intelligence community, IC on the Record, the DNI's Tumblr account.